Effect of ensiled product made from banana pseudo-stem and taro foliage on the growth performance of common ducks 

Dao Thi My Tien, Ngo Thuy Bao Tran, Bui Phan Thu Hang and T R Preston^*

An Giang University
dtmtien@agu.edu.vn
^*TOSOLY, UTA-Colombia, AA#48, Socorro, Santander, Colombia

Abstract 

The experiment was to evaluate the effect of ensiled product made from banana stem and taro foliage on the growth performance of common ducks fed a basal diet of rice bran. . The design was a  CRD (Completely Randomized Design) with five treatments and three replicates. The treatments were based on percentages of silage of banana stem and taro foliage (BT: ensiled 50:50, DM basis) replacing rice bran in the diet (50, 40, 30, 20 and 0% BT). The average crude protein content was in the range of 11 to 13% in DM).

 DM intake decreased and DM feed conversion was improved when the banana stem-taro silage replaced rice bran.  Live weight gain increased with a curvilinear trend  with the optimum (13 g/day) between 30 and 40% banana stem-taro silage in the diet.

Key words: feed intake, feed conversion, leaves, petioles, soluble sugars
 

Introduction

Banana trees are widely planted in Vietnam. They can grow very easily without fertilizer and pesticide. Commonly, most parts of banana trees are used as human food (banana fruits, flowers and even the banana root (Dao Cong Ho 2009). According to Bui Quang Tuan and Nguyen Van Hai (2004), banana stem contains a lot of water (93.4%) and has rather low nutritional value (6.5% CP and 1.5% lipid, DM basis).

In some areas of Viet Nam, banana stem are also used as feed for pigs and poultry. Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is one kind of wetland plant that can grow wild in the nature, near river banks and ponds. Taro is abundant and the silage can be made easily by farmers. Ducks can eat Taro silage and grow well (Chhay Ty et al 2011).

According to pilot observations (Dao Thi My Tien et al 2010), banana stems can be ensiled easily, especially if BTed with taro foliage (Figure 1).  This is because there are quite high concentrations of soluble sugars in the juice of both the banana stem and the taro foliage (Figure 2).

Objectives

The objectives were to study the effect of the ensiled product made from banana stem and taro foliage on the growth performance of common ducks

Materials and methods

Location and duration

The experiment was carried out in the experimental farm of Angiang University, Long Xuyen City, An Giang province, Vietnam. The experiment was conducted for 3 months from February to April 2011 excluding the adaptation and  period.   

Animals and management

120 common ducks at 1 day old were collected from brooding houses. For one week they were fed a commercial feed and then gradually adapted to the experimental diet until they reached 21 days old. The experiment was started when the ducks reached 21 days of age. The ducks were housed in cages (5 ducks/m²) made from wood and net arranged on the cement floor (with rice husk for bedding).

Experimental design

The experiment was designed as a CRD (Completely Randomized Design) with five treatments and three replicates (8 ducks per treatment, balanced for sex).  The treatments were based on percentages of the silage of banana stem and taro foliage (BT) (ensiled 50:50 ratio, DM basis) and rice bran (RB) in the proportions of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% (BT) of the diet (DM basis). 

Experimental feeding 

Both banana stem and taro foliage (stem and leaves) were chopped into small pieces (1-2 cm in length) (Pictures 3 and 4), BT together (Picture 5), dried under sun light for half a day and ensiled in plastic bags (50 liter capacity) for 7 days before use.  The experimental diets were fed at 7% live weight (DM basis). Water was supplied ad libitum. Both feeders and drinkers were cleaned and refilled each morning.

Picture 3. Chopped banana stem	Picture 4. Chopped taro (stem and leaves	Picture 5. BTed components (banana stem + stem and leaves taro)

Detail of the five treatments are in Table 1. The experiment lasted 50 days (starting when ducks reached 21 days old and finished when they reached 70 days)

 Data collection

The ducks in each experimental unit were weighed individually at the beginning of the experiment and then weekly until the end of the experiment. Daily feed intakes were calculated according to the total feed consumption of the ten ducks in each pen.  Feeds offered and refused were measured separately every day in the morning.

Chemical analysis

The DM, CP and ash in the feeds were determined according to AOAC (1990).

Statistical analysis

The data were organized with MS Excel software for subsequent statistical analysis, using the general linear model in the ANOVA program of the Minitab (2000) software (release13.2). Sources of variation in the model were treatments and error.

Results and discussion

Chemical composition of the diets

The crude protein in the ensiled mixture of banana sstem and taro foliage was slightly less than in the rice bran  (Table 2).

Growth performance, feed intake and feed conversion

 DM intake decreased when the banana stem-taro silage replaced rice bran (Table 3; Figure 1). Live weight gain showed a positive  curvilinear response to inclusion of banana stem-taro silage in the diet with the optimum at between 30 and 40%  of silage in the diet (Figure 2. DM feed conversion was improved by inclusion of the silage in the diet up to the 30% level with no further improvement at 40 and 50% silage in the diet (Figure 3). These responses are similar to those reported by Chhay Ty et al (2011) when they included increasing proportions of ensiled taro foliage in  a basal diet of rice bran fed to common ducks in Cambodia.

Figure 1. Trends in DM intake as the ensiled mixture of banana stem and Taro foliage replaced rice bran in the diet of common ducks	Figure 2. Trends in live weight gain as the ensiled mixture of banana stem and Taro foliage replaced rice bran in the diet of common ducks
Figure 3. Trends in DM feed conversion as the ensiled mixture of banana stem and Taro foliage replaced rice bran in the diet of common ducks

Conclusions

• DM intake decreased and DM feed conversion was improved when banana stem-taro silage replaced rice bran up to the 30-40% level..  Live weight gain increased with a curvilinear trend  with the optimum (13 g/day) between 30 and 40% banana stem-taro silage in the diet.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the support from the MEKARN project, financed by the Sida, Sweden. 

References

AOAC 1990 Official Methods of Analysis, 15^th edition. Association of the Official Analytical Chemists, Washington D.C.

Bui Quang Tuan and Nguyen Van Hai 2004 Research on using banana stem as feed for crossbred milking calves. Journal of Agricultural Science. Volume 2 No. 1/2004

Đao Cong Ho 2009 Banana trees - kickshaw your medication and you.

Chhay Ty, Borin K, Chanpheakdey S, Sina V, Buntho H and Preston T R 2011 Replacing rice bran and duckweed with ensiled Taro leaf-stem foliage (Colocasia esculenta) in diets of growing ducks. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 23, Article #92. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd23/4/chha23092.htm

Dao Thi My Tien, Nguyen Tuyet Giang and Preston T R  2010 A note on ensiling banana pseudo-stem with Taro (Colocasia esculenta) leaves and petioles. http://www.mekarn.org/workshops/pakse/abstracts/tien_agu2.htm

Minitab 2000 Reference Manual, Release 13.1 for Windows. Minitab Inc., USA.

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